Metamorphosis
by tremor3258
Summary: Moon and Lillie have two conversation near the start of journeys, though differing levels of confidence.


Metamorphosis

By tremor3258

Just a short piece, as a bit of a break. Much more Moon than Sun, more game rules as well, with our silent protagonist taking advantage of the medium to speak up.

* * *

"Oh you don't get to leave this time!" shouted the young Pokémon trainer, charging forward even as the Poke ball left her hands. The small bird in front of her saw her moving past and squawked in consternation, flapping its tiny wings to try and get back in front of its trainer.

The yellow slumbering fox glowed as the ball reached it, but even as it started to be drawn into the capture device, the Poke ball exploded. Sniggering to itself, the Abra waved slightly as it teleported away, somewhere else as twilight settled over the city.

"No!" Moon said. Then her eyes widened as the grass parted… to reveal the fences that set the areas for Pokémon to live off from the human residences in Hau'oli. "No!" she said more urgently as she found herself unable to stop in time, hitting the fence with a clatter. It was fairly thick, so it hurt more in pride than in new bruises, but dropped her to her knees. Then she stars as her Rowlet, unable to stop, smacked into the back of her head with a scream, before rolling down her back to land on the ground, dizzy and cooing to itself.

"Owww…" she complained aloud. She gathered herself, smiling at her first partner, and reached over and put her poor little owl back on its feet. Robin Hoot shook himself, cooing thanks, fluffing his feathers. She patted him affectionately, and pulled out the comb from the kit her Mom had managed to dig out form the first layer of boxes. "Okay, let's get you straightened up," she directed. The little Rowlet puffed himself up so she could go to work, and cooed affectionately as she straightened him back up.

He was too tiny to take long, and she took a moment to work on herself, slapping her hat to get the dust off. The little owl rubbed against the kit affectionately for a second. "I know, right?" Moon said, "It works on fur, feather, and scales. It's tough enough to travel, it's got medicine for everything, and it even has solar batteries so I don't have to worry when we leave the city. And it wasn't even the big present." She patted Robin Hoot on the head again, who cooed.

Rotom Dex buzzed from her bag pocket, "And don't you forget it, bzzt! Come on, let's head to the trial!"

She recalled her first partner, and placed him back on her belt. She stood up, wincing a little. Her life up until this week hadn't been so _active_. Moon worked her way along the fence line to get clear. The gates for this particular patch of wilderness was right by the Pokémon center; and she could really use some of their lemonade.

"You're probably right, Rotom," she said to it. "Everyone really seems to think I'll handle it. And I'm low on Poke balls again." She hoped she'd lived up to it. She'd spent all day hunting the city to fill up her team after being shown by the town by her new friends.

They were sure, but the locals her in Hau'oli seemed to think the trial could be rough. Moon had battled the trial captain, and she was sure they weren't his best Pokémon. No one had said exactly how the trials operated, but she knew how gyms worked, and she guessed the captain's best Pokémon were there. Anyone putting the local vermin in _Ultra balls_ probably had a few with something tougher.

He'd been very kind about praising her, at least, and she appreciated Ilima had tipped her off there were some interesting Pokémon types here in town, attracted by all the people to be pets or battle partners. She'd seen three Abra all day, and they seemed to be the same kind as the ones in Kanto – which meant they were famously strong.

If you were a good enough trainer to catch them, anyway. The ones that had showed up before Moon had barely stuck around before teleporting off. She was starting to get suspicious it was the same one, mocking her.

She reached the gate safely, looking around carefully before opening it she wouldn't slam into anyone – the streets were still crowded as the tourist night life kicked in. Then she spotted someone she recognized and dove back into the tall grass, before rolling back out. The Rattata she'd nearly stepped on chittered angrily, just waking up it seemed, before huffily going back into the grass.

"You okay, kid?" Rotom asked through the Pokédex.

"It's Lillie," Moon hissed. "She got stressed when Hau and I had our first battle, and well, _look_ at us. Remember at the trainers' school? She was _really_ generous with all those potions. I already owe everyone a lot!"

"Oh, my clever child," the Rotom said, "You don't owe anyone, take a lesson in the Alola spirit from a spirit, bzzt! But it is for Lillie, hmm. You have that Pichu from near that fuse box, right?" Moon nodded.

"Hau tipped me off," Moon said, sounding glum as she called out the little electric Pokémon, and started rubbing her ears absent-mindedly.

"It may now know flash, but we can get a flash mob going!" the possessed machine said eagerly. "Eh, eh?" it nudged when Moon didn't laugh immediately at the joke. "Tough crowd. Anyway – half the people out there are from Kanto; and if there's one truth – Kantonians are obsessed with Pikachus, Raichus, Pichus, if it's an electric mouse, they've put it on merchandise."

Moon grinned and held up Zaptrap, who chittered as she got rubbed under the chin. "Guilty as charged, so?"

"So, charge them up – send that cute little guy out and it'll be like iron filings to a Geodude wanting a new hairstyle," the Pokédex urged.

"If you say so – Geodudes have hairstyles here?" Moon asked, distracted, then shook her head. "So much to do. Okay, Zaptrap, you heard them, go out there and lay on the Charm," Moon directed. The tiny Pichu chittered as Moon set it down carefully, and the little electric Pokémon dashed between the fence posts into the middle of the street, where she started washing her face.

"Awww!" came as sort of a collective sigh of admiration as passerby stopped to gather around the little Pichu, snapping photos. With the crowd concentrated, Moon dashed towards the Pokémon Center, stopping at the entrance to hold up Zaptrap's ball. The little mouse Pokémon dissolved back into light, drawn back into home.

"Awww!" came again, as a sort of disappointed moan. Moon shrugged and ducked into the Center before the crowd went back to normal business.

"Thank you, both of you," she murmured.

"Part of the service, clever girl, bzzt! We're partners!" Rotom Dex assured before dropping back into her bag. "But save me some of that lemonade!"

* * *

Lillie stood on a street corner, baffled as to how she had gotten there. She'd been trying to be so careful this time, too, looking at the map before she'd gone into town. But after she left Hau and Moon, she'd heard about those terrible Team Skull people being in town. So, she'd ducked into an alleyway, and she wasn't _quite_ sure which way she'd been behind the buildings, and now, well, she had found a Pokémon Center but it wasn't the one by Professor Kukui's lab. Probably.

Even more baffling, she was pretty sure she had seen their new neighbor Moon duck by, the crowd gathering around something for a minute. She shielded her eyes as the flashes went off on a dozen camera phones, but when she brought her hand down, Moon was definitely gone from the field. If it was Moon, she didn't think there was more than two of that hat around, but the clothes had changed.

She looked down to make sure Nebby was still safely out of sight in its bag, and yelped a little when she looked up. Moon _was_ around, right in front of her, in fact. "Are you all right?" she asked with a cautious smile.

"I'm sorry," Lillie said, cringing a little, but Moon did not change her expression. Everyone was so kind about Lillie's mistakes here. "I get lost so quickly, I can't figure out the roads here," the pale girl said, and realized the other girl had updated her outfit. "I can't even pick out my own clothes," she finished quietly.

Nebby rocked briefly in the bag, and Lillie put a reassuring hand down. "But you're moving on to your first trial?" Lillie asked. Looking more closely, the girl seemed a bit… battered, but it didn't seem to be bothering her.

"I think so," Moon said. "I was trying to capture some more around here, but I think I hit my limit."

"Oh, Rotom should be able to transfer to the storage network on Poké Pelago if you caught more than you can hold," Lillie assured her. The Professor had said the trial-goer had been on a capture streak starting out. Well, he'd said it like, "Cousin is just a Hurricane of Pokémon captures, woo!"

"Oh, Rotom showed that," Moon said quickly. "I like your Grimers here, by the way. Everyone is so _nice_ here to a stranger like me. I guess I owe you and Nebby, for this, too, and Tapu Koko," she said, holding up the Z-ring. Despite the lack of light in the setting sun, it sparkled.

"Yes, the Professors and Hala have been very kind to Nebby and I," Lillie said. "But I know Hala and Kukui had two challenge medals before you helped save Nebby." She sighed again at that. What _could_ she do?

Moon spoke quickly, at Lillie's frown. "And Hau and everyone. It was me and Meowth with Mom back home," Moon said. "She'd always said she loved it here, but-" Moon stopped and sighed briefly. "I guess I'm half-Alolan, but I've got a Pokémon now so Mom can keep Meowth, and I get to go along with Hau on the trials."

"It's not just battling, on the trials," Lillie said. "I read some books on it; the captains set all sorts of puzzles, and can change them. The kahunas and government help keep the trial sites clear so it's a good challenge, but the trials change. They're supposed to help you keep all sorts of options as you approach adulthood."

"Wow," Moon said. "All this work for it, I really want to do all of it Lillie. Everyone put themselves into it, I have to give a hundred and twenty percent back!"

"I don't think your math works," Lillie said dubiously. Moon shrugged.

"Still have to try," the Pokémon trainer said cheerfully. "There's all sorts of things to do, and I want to help where I can, and all sorts of strange Pokémon! Someone was asking if anyone saw a Drifloon, don't know that one."

"Oh, I read about that," Lillie said, "It's a balloon ghost Pokémon, they're popular with small children in Alola. The Drifloon like to tug the children along – you're headed to Verdant Cavern for the trial correct? There's a cemetery on that route, ghosts like to meet with the spirits. Kukui got some Ghastlies from there to test Mean Look effects last month."

Moon consulted Rotom's screen for a moment. "Oh, a trap move?" she said. "Maybe I'm not done for the day, Lillie – but I should help you get back to the professor."

"Oh, you have your trials," Lillie said. "You shouldn't put them on hold just for me. I'll get back, somehow." Lillie spoke fiercely, with a quaver.

Moon patted her shoulder, but withdrew when Lillie flinched, slightly. "Sorry, no, you've been really helpful – friends are good to each other, right?" the trainer said. She put down a Poke ball, popping out a Metapod. Moon picked up the cocoon Pokémon, who blinked. "You have familiar Pokémon here, too," Moon said, getting excited again. "Kitty here was a Caterpie over on the city outskirts before I ran into him. Kitty, can you show Lillie back where I got you?"

Without asking, Moon pushed the cocoon into Lillie's hands, along with his Poke ball. "Your Metapod are like the ones I saw the bug catchers with; not very fast, but the can move a little. Once you get back, the Professor should be able to get the Poke ball to me, or I can pick it up from my Mom after the trial," Moon said.

"I'm not a Trainer!" Lillie fairly wailed. The bug was surprisingly warm to the touch, and vibrated softly, not slick at all, and not too heavy.

"Oh, it's okay," Moon said, "Kitty doesn't have to eat or anything, it can just sort of nudge. But even if you're completely stuck now, if you're patient and keep working – you can burst out to be a big beautiful Butterfree. Kitty's helping me get the Pokédex registered, and I'm helping him get to be a Butterfree… and you helped me just now, so Kitty's going to help you too."

"I… see," Lillie said at last, and finally smiled a little. The metaphor wasn't as clumsy as Professor Kukui's jokes, and she appreciated the sentiment. "Thank you," she said to the friendly trainer, and started walking, then stopped. "I read something in an old book once – the island challenge was once a way of proving yourself to the guardians like Tapu Koko. Do you think we could meet it again?" Moon shrugged. "Good luck on your trial," Lillie said politely.

Moon waved again as Lillie used the homing Metapod before starting uphill out of the city.

"Wait!" Lillie could hear the Rotom in the distance. "Weren't you going to get some sleep, kid? Please, bzt! Think of my batteries!"

"Maybe, but we're not done out yet, and we've got Zaptrap now to keep you charged," Moon called back cheerfully.

"You're going to be the death of me, kid… and this is a ghost talking!" Rotom said, surrendering the point.

* * *

 _Sometime later_

Hau'oli was busier than it used to be. Even the administrative capital of Alola was filled to the brim thanks to the Pokémon League opening and the Battle Tree attracting competitors and Pokémon breeders, along with of course, spectators and gamblers. Alola had more types of Pokémon and people than ever; and that brought good and bad.

But the sun and the moon shone on everyone equally. And when it came to keeping the peace, the police had the kahunas, the kahunas had her, and she had her friends and her Pokémon team. And true to Alola, they'd all managed to support each other, at least so far.

And that gave her a few moments to catch her breath now and then, and worry about friends who were farther away. But experience meant she was keeping an eye for chaos even by the stillness of the Hau'oli Pokémon Center. The roar of a Charizard shook her from her thoughts – Hau flew through the sky with a barrel roll, jumping off and landing with barely a knee flex, giving a happy wave, holding a Poke ball triumphantly.

Moon waved back to her friend and her most respected rival. Hau found time to take it easy, and Moon could still just barely keep in front of him as a pure Pokémon trainer. She was glad they could be friends, instead of just having respect for each other; the Champion and a future Champion.

Right now, the future Champion was waving a Poke ball excitedly. "Aue! Found one and got it set like you asked, Moon. You sure this is good?"

"Absolutely," she said with conviction. "Back in Kanto, these were fearsome, but this is one Pokémon that takes more than one human to really bring out all its powers. And who do we know who's better for finding a Pokémon's hidden powers?" Hau nodded at that, briefly looking dreamy.

"So, where's stick-in-the-mud?" Hau asked. He grimaced briefly and turned around, surprised "Okay, I was expecting him behind me after that straight line."

"I'm sure he's feeling a sudden urge to sneak up on you," Moon assured. "Wicke said something yesterday about Gladion hosting a big conference for arranging some new breeding programs with the Indigo regions' Safari Zones for genetic diversity."

"Huh, haven't heard about that," Hau said. "I remember someone on Aether Paradise saying they didn't get along well with the Safari parks."

"It was pretty short notice, but the Safari zones have wanted access to the genetic lines in Aether for years. I remember reading about that back in Kanto," Moon said, and then paused in thought. "Um," Moon admitted. "I _might_ have mentioned our birthday present in case he was planning something similar last time we had a match and then he left the room muttering. I hadn't really thought about it at the time."

"Right, he's a mutterer," Hau said. "I'm not sure what that sourpuss thinks he's stopping but at least Lillie will have someone familiar at her birthday." Moon nodded at that, smiling warmly. Hau added, "But I saw him a few days ago," Hau counted on his fingers briefly, and said, "Man, that _was_ short notice, must be nice to have that sort of budget."

"Well, we were able to put this satellite call together," Moon said, optimistically. The League so far was more of a prestige thing than about pay.

"It's about time, isn't it?" Hau said, brightening again. "Let's head over."

* * *

The conference room was one of a dozen small locations set up so vacationing executives could rush to get back in contact with their mainland headquarters. The video conferencing set up was pretty straightforward, and with Rotom rattling off the number they were able to get it going quickly, once they pushed the table to one side.

Hau brightened as Lillie appeared on screen. She smiled as well, waving some. Her movements were a lot looser than Moon remembered; and she'd even tanned a little. Kanto was good for her. The two Alola-side trainers shared a grin when they saw Gladion in the background with his arms folded, looking pained.

"H-hi, um, Lillie," Hau said. He squeaked a little as Lillie replied.

"Hello, both of you!" she said. "Are you doing well?"

Moon nodded, "Yes," she said. Hau was squeaking slightly. Lillie was starting to frown a bit, so Moon decided a distraction was in order, calling out two special Pokémon.

"These two are ready for you when you get back. Nebby! Nebby Junior!" she said, and threw them carefully – with the table moved there should be enough room for this.

With a flash and cry the two legendary Pokémon who had challenged the islands' guardian deities emerged. Nebby with a wave of a wing gave a happy shriek as she realized where she was.

Lillie's frown vanished and she beamed at her travelling companion and charge, all grown up. Nebby Junior purred somewhat inquisitively. Lillie looked at it with some surprise. "A Solgaelo? How?"

"That's your grandmother, Nebby Junior," Moon said, patting the big lion Pokémon's side affectionately, as a way of an answer.

Hau shook his head, relaxing a bit when the conversation focus was of him. "I still don't believe you where you found him," he stated. "Or that you nicknamed him that."

"Pokémon have eggs all the time!" Moon said. "And it was that or 'Nebby squared'. If what I _think_ happened did."

Lillie interrupted. "I'm sorry, I think I'm a little lost."

Hau said, "Nebby took Moon through an Ultra Wormhole to another Nebby where they made a Nebby." Moon smiled and shrugged. Nebby cried again, somewhat bashfully in Moon's opinion. Nebby Junior huffed and started to curl up to go to sleep, but was slapped by her mother's wing to stay attentive.

"Oh, Rotom! You had the baby pictures!" Moon said.

"Right, going to transmit those – Moon's really been working on her photography, the clever girl!" The living Pokédex said.

Lillie opened her mouth a few times and closed it, as Gladion just held a hand to his face, shaking his head. "Right, I guess things have stayed busy, then."

"Mainly just normal training," Moon said tactfully, editing down some of the last few months' oddities. "But, how are you?"

"Mother is starting to show some more improvement," Lillie said. "Bill has been working on some improvements to the transporter system – he thinks they have some wider medical applications."

Moon, still smiling, insisted, "How are _you_ , Lillie?'

"Oh!" Lillie looked at her brother, who gestured insistently. "Good!" she said. "I'm… good. I have some ways to go if I want to think about a League challenge, but I am learning a lot by visiting the Gyms and seeing the region. It's very different than reading about it. It – I miss you all, but I know we will see each other in person again." Lillie brushed at her eyes briefly.

"We know," Hau said. About as serious sounding as Moon had known. "Trainers remember all their encounters – or good ones! We'll meet again, and have some great battles, and really be able to talk" he said, the last a little to himself. Moon nodded. Hau pulled out their gift ball. "But, er, here – a Trainer to Trainer present! Happy Birthday!"

Lillie nodded enthusiastically, and did her personal Z-pose, before showing a Poke ball. "Yes, brother mentioned, well, mentioned you Moon, sorry – so I got one ready, but wanted to have something from back after we met."

"Let's do the trade," Moon said, making a note to talk to Gladion about his editing. "And then finish catching up. I want you to be strong when you're ready to come back to the League here." Lillie merely clutched her fists and nodded, determined.

* * *

Finally, budget had meant Moon and Hau had to leave, and were walking through the darkening streets. The two were chatting for a while, and Moon finally said. "So, are you going to hold it or see what she sent?" She'd been noting how Hau had gripped it.

"It's yours, though," Hau said.

"The way Gladion said it, Lilllie probably thought you were so far down in Resolution Cave you didn't know what month it was," Moon said with confidence. "I'm sure it would be for you." Hau blushed a bit at that, and tossed the Poke ball.

The light flared and grew – spiraling into the air into a Butterfree, gleaming with its small hairs as the city lights came on. It was female, and waved shyly as it spotted them.

"Ohhhh!" Moon said. "One of the first Pokémon I showed Lillie was a Metapod. Alola Butterfree."

At hearing Moon's voice, the Butterfree stabilized, and floated lower, letting Hau and Moon shake her hands.

"I see you do that with new Pokémon," Hau said, "And it amazes me every time, every type." Moon shrugged, uncomfortable.

"Just have to do the best I can with it," Moon said, uneasy. Not that Hau was any better for whatever knack it was. At hearing _his_ voice, the Butterfree bobbed her head and accepted head scratches from Hau.

"That's you, all one hundred and twenty percent. Alola Butterfree," Hau said with a bit of a laugh, never down for long. The Butterfree chirped back cheerfully.

"There you two are!" a voice shouted from down the street. The two whirled; hands going naturally to Poke balls – but it was Ilima, looking less put together than usual. His clothes were soaked and hair falling down by his eyes without its usual lift, but he was ignoring that as he ran. The Yungoos next to him also looked like it'd been put through the wash.

"Were you training by a waterfall?" Hau asked, as Ilima stopped next to them, panting.

"No – the Seaking convention!" Ilima said, "The horn group and the fin group – it's broken out into open battle! I did what I could, but sheer numbers… the convention center is flooding into the streets! I was going to find Hala but I heard you two were in town!"

Hau glanced at Moon, who shrugged. The boy pulled a Z-crystal to hand to the Butterfree. "Welcome aboard, Butterfree – let me show you how we help each other here." The Butterfree grasped the crystal, with some surprise, as the three trainers headed to head off Alola's latest trial; running towards the sounds of angry goldfish collectors.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Playing Sun/Moon – just did this one as a sort of break as a bit of a character reflection; the characters are fun and I like the way they bounce off each other through the game. Moon (or Sun) is the usual Pokémon game unstoppable battle specialist on the way to being Champion, but also filling a Pokédex to get more info, doing some side photography, maybe doing some breeding, Pyukumuku chucking. Moon's kind of a polymath with all the minigames.

To be fair, for once people react to the Trial-goers being _unusually_ good this year, and Hau being _nearly_ as good as you, I suspect Kukui got lucky with two potential Champions (three, with Gladion as it ended up, though he's a bit older, and it really seemed to take Hau and Moon to get him to uncoil. A little) for his planned League.


End file.
